This fact is a sobering realization to the gravity of Japan’s suicide problem. High numbers of people contemplating suicide are straining access to help, revealing a chilling culture where ending one’s life is considered socially acceptable.

In 2012, former Minister of Financial ServicesTadahiro Matsushita reportedly hung himself in his own home and was found dead on World Suicide Prevention Day. He was not the first politician to have committed suicide in Japan.

Suicide is not a taboo nor deemed a sin in Japan. It is also often perceived as a means of apology, protest, and act of revenge or way of dealing with mental illness.

Furthermore, suicide has a deep-rooted tradition of being seen as beautiful or heroic. Japanese popular culture, through its literature and films, has glorified suicide by way of honor and romanticism.

Source: aokigaharaforest.com

Popular culture aside, contemporary news outlets and reports have attributed the country’s economic downturn and societal pressures as reasons for Japan’s high suicide rate.

According to Taiki Nakashita,a Buddhist priest, social activist, and counselor, most people commit suicide because they are unable to go on living. He highlighted the need to improve conditions for the underprivileged who struggle to live in Japan.

Men, going through financial woes or depression, make up the majority of those who take their own lives. This has been attributed to the pressure of supporting their families and difficulties in expressing their struggles within a culture that rarely complains.

Depression or forms of mental illness also havea stigma attached to them in Japanese society. With no avenues to talk about their problems, isolation from society is prevalent and suicide is seen as an eventual way out.

While the Japanese government hasstrengthened their suicide countermeasures since mapping out several policies in 2007, awareness of mental illness within society and support for those struggling with mental health is still a work in progress.